Failure has been portrayed in the mind of students as something that reduces their worth, something that is an adverse consequence of some adverse actions and decisions, for which the student himself is responsible. Generally, failure is comprehended as an end in itself. When students face such a situation be it in their exams or elsewhere, they lose their confidence level to such an extent that they start considering themselves as a looser. Very often, depression and helplessness follow, leading to the extinction of all rays of hope for the student.
It becomes very important for the students to deal positively with failure, since the conception of failure portrayed above is nothing more than a false way looking at it. This article thrives to discuss the true meaning of failure and address how should students deal with failure in their lives.
Did You Really Fail?
Or did you come closer to your goal? Analyse. Failing isn’t about an unsuccessful attempt to achieve your goal. An unsuccessful attempt in itself, is the biggest lesson and guideline to take you closer to your goals.
Consider this. You are walking to the nearby metro station. After walking a few hundred metres a person informs you that this isn’t the correct road and you need to walk back at the starting point and take another road. You may be frowned but won’t you be thankful to the stranger who informed you about the wrong path?
When you fail, the universe tries to convey to you that the path you were on wasn’t leading to your destination. It asks you to reconsider your path. If you, then, instead of changing your path, sit there and cry upon your luck, will that be any good? Shouldn’t you be thankful that you got to know that you were going wrong and now there’s a higher probability that you will succeed this time?
Is it a real failure then? Or an increase in the success probability for next time?
How to deal with failure?
- Let it be
Let yourself fail, learn and grow. Let yourself recover from this phase gradually. Don’t overthink. There is no harm in feeling low and depressed for some time, provided that you already know that you will be able to regain your strength very soon.
It is definitely very challenging to accept the theories of failure as a part of success and let go of all the intrusive thoughts immediately. Give yourself some time to heal. Let it be.
- 2. Talk
To anyone whom you believe will not judge you. They may be your parents, your best friend, your favourite teacher, or yourself. It is very important to express what you are feeling about yourself and about everything right now.
Very often we are afraid and unable to share our thoughts with anyone. In this case, talk to yourself. You may write a diary expressing everything that’s going on in your head. Or you may talk to yourself alone.
Just let the thoughts and feelings go, slowly.
- 3. Cut the negativities
For some time, cut all the negativities around yourself. It is often the people and not the incident that makes you more depressed. Try to stay away from people who let you down. Talk only to people who motivate you provide strength to you. Stay and feel positive about yourself.
- 4. Know that Everyone Fails, Some time in their Life.
There’s no one who can claim that they have not failed in any field ever. Failure is a sign of progress. If you develop and try new things, you are bound to fail and lean and grow from it. The earlier you fail, the earlier you win. Failing is thus a signal that corrects your path and lets you know that you are growing and progressing.
- 5. Don’t Give Up, Ever.
Don’t let your failure depress you to the extent that you stop trying again and again. When you are on a wrong path, change the road not the goal. Every time you fail, you have a greater probability to succeed next time because now you know the path that led to failure and you won’t repeat that.
Keep trying for your goal. Face the failure, until the failure fails to face you.
